


Blooming Heroes (Persona 5:TG/Twinning)

by MirageSand



Category: Persona 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:20:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24362689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirageSand/pseuds/MirageSand
Kudos: 3





	Blooming Heroes (Persona 5:TG/Twinning)

The Phantom Thieves were carefully progressing throughout Okumura's palace alongside their newest member Haru. "I believe it shouldn't be that much farther until we reach the treasure." Haru said as she passed through a gap where it looked like a door should be.

Ryuji followed right behind her but when he tried to get through a wall of energy suddenly materialized, blocking his path. "What was that?" He yelled after ramming headfirst into the barrier.

"Are you okay?" Haru asked in concern as she ran back through the gate.

Ann moved her hand towards the gate but found it repelled her as well. "I can't get through either."

"It would appear that only Haru can make it through the door. It must only open for Okumura and his family." Yusuke calmly noted while examining the gate.

Haru stopped and thought carefully about what they could do. "I will try to see if I can deactivate it from the other side. Why don't you check this side as well?" She walked through the gate and began looking for something that could help.

The rest of the group immediately went to work, searching for a way to get through the barrier. Spirits started off high as they examined the area top to bottom looking for some secret switch or button, but it didn't take them long to come to the conclusion that there was nothing of the sort lying around. Okumura's Shadow really didn’t want any trespassers coming in through here...

While continuing to listen to Morgana's forced cheers of encouragement, Akira noticed what looked to be a hand mirror lying on the floor. It seemed odd to find such a thing in a place like this; it didn't fit in with any other of the futuristic gadgetry the palace was otherwise loaded with. Still, he picked it up, intrigued. It was rather girly, pink and bright orange around the sides, topped off with a cutesy flower design. If anything, it looked like something Haru herself might've owned... picking it up, he looked inside of it, noting his own reflection.

Except, as he quickly realized, it wasn't his own reflection at all; staring at him from inside the mirror wasn't his own face-- it was Haru! She had a shocked expression on her face, her pink-glossed lips parted into a silent gasp, her bright brown eyes widened in shock. For a moment, he thought he might have picked up a picture of her instead, but it was definitely a mirror; the background in the mirror matched perfectly with what it was reflecting, and Haru moved perfectly in sync with Akira. He blinked, and the Haru in the mirror blinked right back alongside him, making the same exact facial expressions he did. He wasn't sure what to do... he must have stared at it for a full minute of intense silence, trying to figure out how exactly this was possible.

"Haru? When did you get back? I thought you just left."

Morgana and Futaba had come up behind him, the pair having not found anything themselves. Akira took the mirror away from his face and turned around to greet Haru, only to find nobody behind him. When he turned back around, Morgana and Futaba had stepped right in front of him, facing him directly. Akira found that for whatever reason, he didn't need to crane down his head as much as usual to look Futaba in the eyes. Had she gotten taller?

"Hello? Earth to Haru... find anything?"

Akira realized that Morgana was talking to him, for whatever reason. Confused, he started to answer, only for a light squeak to come out of his mouth instead of his usual deep voice. What...?

He raised his hands in front of him, his eyes once again widening as he took a look at his gloves, now colored a rich shade of purple instead of the red that usually greeted him when he visited the cognitive world. But it wasn't just his gloves themselves that had changed, his fingers and hands visibly more feminine, the outline of long nails pressing out against the tips of the soft fabric. His eyes danced down towards his arms, a poofy pink pair of sleeves now having overtaken them completely. The significance of what had happened quickly dawning on him, he dropped the mirror and began examining his body frantically, ignoring the confused looks of the two who had first approached him.

His entire outfit had been altered: black tights and lace-up pumps neatly wrapped up against a pair of thin, girlish legs, fluffy purple bloomers, a matching pink blouse and black vest, all topped by a wide-brimmed cavalier hat resting atop a set of wavy orange curls that were now gently tickling the sides of his head. Along with the change in wardrobe came in a change in body, and a myriad of new sensations-- and lack thereof-- began to take obvious effect. Without meaning to, he blushed, his breasts now impossible to stop thinking about now that he'd noticed them, an overpowering weight pressing against the gentle fabric of his blouse, an unfamiliar warmth coursing through his whole chest. He didn't even want to think about what had happened going any lower than that... that was an entirely different beast to tackle.

"Haru, seriously, are you okay? Hello?"

Akira was so lost in what had happened to him he had forgotten that his friends were standing in front of him, visibly bewildered by his reaction. Morgana had started tugging on his bloomers (certainly not a thought he had ever wanted to have) while he was distracted, trying to get his attention. He shook his head and opened his mouth, pausing while he figured out a way to explain the situation. What could he even start to say...?

Suddenly, a series of footsteps came from across the barrier. She was coming back-- it seemed like they were just going to have to see what happened with their own eyes.

Haru went through the gate again and gasped in surprise. She wasn't the only one, everyone else equally bewildered by what they saw. Standing before them were two Harus. The original Haru walked closer to the transformed Akira and studied him carefully. Trying for quite some time, she couldn't even find the smallest difference between her and the girl appearing before her. Looking around she noticed who was the only Phantom Thief missing. "I-Is that you, Joker?"

The group watched as the girl blushed and explained that she had changed after looking into the mirror. Suddenly Ryuji took it out of Akira's hands before anyone could react. "Are you serious man? It's just some mirror." Ryuji looked at his reflection and heard the gasps of his teammates the same moment he noticed his new reflection. "Hey, what..." Ryuji was stunned as he looked over his new feminine body. He was astounded by all the strange new sensations: the glossy feeling on his lips, the ultra soft fabric of his outfit rubbing up against his delicate, smooth skin. Ryuji briefly groped his new breasts in shock before he felt a cold aura coming from Haru's direction and stopped, blushing.

"You idiot! Weren't you listening to what Joker just said?" Ann yelled at Ryuji who immediately began yelling back. While the two were busy arguing, Haru stared at Ryuji and Akira with a perplexed look on her face, as if she was trying to figure something out. Suddenly she grabbed hold of the two new copies of herself by the hands and dragged them through the gate, smiling when she saw that they had passed it without issue.

"Just as I thought! Now they can make it through." She took the mirror and stared deep into it, before explaining her plan to her friends. "This may seem odd but I think that all of you should look into this mirror." Haru waited a second for everyone to finish expressing their shock at her odd request. "Let me explain... this mirror appears to transform people into copies of me. I used to keep one similar to this in my room, and I suppose that it must be a fragment of my father's perception of me... regardless, if all of you use it to become me, then we should be able to bypass this gate without issue."

The Phantom Thieves looked to each other nervously as they debated what to do. Eventually they decided they had no other choice especially since two of their members had been transformed already. "I'm sure we will go back to normal eventually, right? After all, Mona always changes back after we leave..." Ann said, not being very convinced herself as Haru handed her the mirror.

She took a deep breath before looking into it. It didn't feel as odd as it had for the boys but it still was a strange sensation, her body quickly morphing to match Haru. Ann looked over her new figure with a worried frown. There wasn't anything wrong with Haru's body or anything, but she couldn't help but miss her old curves...

Half of the Phantom Thieves were now Haru, and now it was Yusuke's turn to join them, Ann handing him the mirror. As he stared into the girly hand mirror the others watched the almost instantaneous change. His body frame became petite and slim, body hair disappearing and his hair changing into a poofy orange style. Pink lip gloss coated Yusuke's lips while his face shifted into that of a cute girl. His nails lengthened and reshaped themselves as they were adorned with a fresh coat of polish, his blue gloves turning purple. A pair of sizable breasts grew out of his chest, his sex changing along with it. Finally a new girly outfit adorned Yusuke's body, and with that his transformation into Noir was complete. He took a moment to examine himself while he thought of how interesting a painting the situation might make, only to feel disappointed when he realized he now had no art supplies.

Once again, the mirror was handed around, this time to Makoto, who took in a deep breath she opened her eyes to face the mirror just as her friends had. She too found herself immediately captivated by her new reflection, which quickly came to life, her form changing to match that of the orange-haired girl staring right into her eyes. She winced a bit as her figure shifted, trading some of her wide hips for an expanded bust. The entire process happened so quickly that she hardly had any time to process it, and she gently set the mirror down as soon as it was finished.

Makoto was almost entranced with her own body, and she stood there silently as she twirled her wavy peach-colored hair with her fingers. She had never worn anything like this in her life (not that she had worn something like her own Metaverse outfit either prior to becoming a Phantom Thief), and she couldn't help but find that it was rather comfortable. She would have assumed that an old-timey vest like this would feel more constraining, but it was surprisingly snug. 

Lost in the awe of her changes, her normally stern expression had been replaced with one almost as innocent-looking as the girl she had just become, and for just a moment, the two seemed indistinguishable. A smile on her face, the real Haru gently tapped her on the shoulder, and Makoto shook her head to the sides before quickly picking up the mirror and handing it to Futaba.

The room was now filled with half-a-dozen of the same girl, all of whom turned towards the tiny dweeb, who was twiddling her thumbs together anxiously. All seemed somewhat eager to see the small girl go through the transformation, and Futaba felt herself become slightly unnerved by the same six pair of eyes staring her down.

"Umm... would you all mind, um... turning around? It's weird with you all looking at me... kinda feels like I'm joining the Borg or something."

The group froze for a second, and Makoto ordered them to do what she asked, almost stopping mid-sentence when she caught the sound of her new high-pitched voice. Seeing that they were all facing away from her, Futaba looked into the mirror, seeing the same face that had appeared for all of her friends. She watched as her own goggles disappeared from her line of sight, her clothes suddenly feeling a lot more breathable. That wasn't the weirdest part... as the smallest girl of the group, she was dealing with far more of a figure shift than Makoto or Ann had... taking a quick peek to check if her friends were still turned around, she quickly cupped her new breasts, silently gasping in admiration.

"Woah... guess I leveled up..."

Another minute of quiet self-examination passed, Futaba mesmerized by how different her body felt. Every insignificant movement only served to drive home just how much her body and outfit had changed; the biggest similarity Haru had to her old body was hair color. She was pawing at the feather sticking out from her cap when Makoto cleared her throat, her patience wearing thin.

"Futaba... are you finished yet? I know this is... odd, and I certainly don't want to rush you, but we should get going soon."

The group turned around and Futaba nodded, the mirror hanging loosely from her gloved hand. Now seven of them, they all stared down at the cat standing at the center of the group. The only nonhuman member of the Phantom Thieves was also now the only one left to be non-Haruified. Without a word, Futaba tried putting the mirror in Morgana's paw, only for him to refuse it.

"Umm... maybe someone should stand guard, y'know..."

Futaba's face scrunched up, filling up with an expression of frustration unbecoming of the girl she'd just been turned into.

"Oh, come on. The rest of us did it, you should too. Besides, aren't you always whining about being human anyway?"

Morgana tried stuttering out an explanation. He didn't want to be Haru! Something was creepy about the way they all stood there like clones... he didn't want any part in that, if he could've avoided it. The cat turned to the other members of the group, all of whom after going through the process themselves seemed to have little sympathy for his reluctance to join them in Haruhood. One Haru in the corner seemed especially mad at his betrayal, angrily biting her lip as she stared at him-- he was guessing that was Ryuji.

"I m-mean... yeah, but not like that..."

Makoto sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Look, we don't have time to argue over this. If you won't look in the mirror, just stay here and wait for us to come back."

Makoto's authoritative tone sounded a little bit less commanding than usual with Haru's soft voice, but it did the job regardless, and the seven identical girls began to filter into the barrier, more than a few moving with an odd gait as they left the room. Morgana was fairly sure he heard Ryuji curse at him under his breath as he left the room (which he had to admit sounded hilarious coming out in Haru's girly voice), but he didn't say anything to provoke him, glad enough to have escaped the wrath of the mirror. Being a human again sounded nice, but joining the Haru Squad definitely wasn't how he intended on achieving it. As they disappeared around the corner of the metal hallway, he couldn't help but wonder what awaited them...

Haru wasn't sure exactly what to think of the strange situation. It felt so odd seeing the others become her but she couldn't help but smile a little. It was also kinda amusing especially when she saw all the little things they did in her body that she wouldn't.

The newly transformed Phantom Thieves persevered through the palace, most of them still struggling to get used to their new bodies. The boys especially were having a tough time adjusting to walking in pumps, however after a bit of walking that was beginning to change. Yusuke subconsciously adjusted his posture without even realizing it. His gait had become dainty and girlish, and he now took smaller and careful steps without even realizing it.

It wasn't too long before the group ran into more shadows. They brought out their weapons only to realize they had been replaced; they'd have to get used to fighting as Haru as well. "How am I supposed to use this?" Ann complained as she looked at her ax. She was doing her best not to fall over as she swung it in a wide arc, initially missing most of her targets. Eventually Ann was starting to get the hang of it and managed controlling it much better, starting to land hit after hit. One unfortunate shadow found itself the target of a flurry of downward blows. Ann smirked as she tore the shadow to shreds feeling awfully happy. "I have to admit, this really relieves the stress and tension. Fighting as you is pretty fun, Haru!"

After mopping up the weaker shadows, a big bulky robot shadow appeared. "This one seems strong. Be careful everyone!" Ryuji said in a softer and considerably more concerned tone than was normal for him. He and the others pelted away at the robot with their powerful grenade launchers before the robot launched a vicious attack at him. Ryuji had been able to dodge at the last second but had been slightly injured in the exchange. From his side, Ann took notice, healing him. "Much obliged." Ryuji said with a smile and little giggle before blushing when he realized what he'd just said.

Joining all the others as they began to adapt more and more of her behaviors, Futaba's differences weren't lost on Haru either as they continued on with another battle. Normally Futaba helped in fights by hanging out on the sidelines and acting as navigator, issuing out warnings and using her persona to send them defensive boosts and recoveries as she was able to. But a few short hours as Haru had apparently knocked those habits clear out of her head, and she had become another giggling axe-swinging Noir along with all the rest. 

Haru, suddenly a little concerned at the staggering difference, couldn't help but point it out after the battle had ended, and Futaba looked confused for a moment when she realized what she had been doing. She quickly snapped back at Haru with a cheerful smile, softly assuring her that it probably wasn't a big deal. Being so unFutabalike, her reply wasn't that convincing... still, even if a little guiltily, Haru couldn't help but giggle to herself. Something was really funny about seeing her act like this.

Just as well, Makoto seemed to have lost of her normal mojo. As the group walked around (more like skipping now really, the entire lot of them having joined Yusuke in his posture change, a chorus of girly-gaited gals practically prancing down the halls of the station), they encountered a difficult puzzle in the form of a series of switches.

Normally Makoto was the one who solved these types of things for the group, and everyone expected her to work through it as usual, but she was considerably more silent than she normally was as the group pressed her for answers, her usual academic sharpness seeming slightly dulled. The group eventually made it through the trial, probably slower than they normally would have, although not with any particular help from her-- in fact, oddly enough, everyone seemed to contribute about exactly the same amount to finding the right answer.

Even their exulted leader wasn't immune to the changes, and the group found themselves in an odd position after Akira began slowly directing them less and less, eventually letting the group lead itself. At first, Haru softly encouraged him to make sure the group was staying on track, but as they got further and further along, it seemed like they didn't even need a leader, all of them operating in perfect sync without given orders. The group was now approaching the hallway that led to one of her father's robotic bosses, and as the group slowly approached the door, Haru listened with glee to some of the conversations her friends were having.

Futaba and Makoto (at least, she thought it was them, although it was getting tough to tell) were excitedly talking about the prospect of joining Haru with her activities in the vegetable garden, and Haru felt a mixture of happiness and guilt build up inside her heart. She was fairly sure that she hadn't even mentioned her vegetable garden to them, but hearing them take to her passions with such enthusiasm... It wasn't wrong to be enjoying this, even if just a little...right? This was only temporary, after all. 

Entering the boss room, the group summoned their personas as they got ready to fight-- although something was clearly amiss, as everyone immediately realized the moment they'd all twirled together in perfect harmony and cheerfully shouted "Milady~", summoning seven identical copies of Haru's persona all at once.

The Phantom Thieves were stunned into silence for a moment as they stared at their new personas. "What's going on?" Ryuji gasped while delicately placing his gloved hands over his mouth. His pirate-like persona had changed into a headless female wearing a massive and incredibly intricate pink ballgown. The others were suitably shocked by what had just occurred.

"We have to focus on the shadow first." Haru shouted, seeing how vulnerable her friends were. They reluctantly nodded their heads and began to fight. What really scared the Phantom Thieves was how easily they fought with Milady. From the start of the battle they were in perfect sync with Haru and their new personas despite having never used them before. The encounter ended quickly after a barrage of Psy spells hit the boss.

With the battle over, the group got together to try to figure out what was going on. The shock of seeing themselves summoned Milady help them to recover some self-awareness, their earlier enthusiasm now long gone. Now they were able to notice how were different they were all acting, but were helpless to change their own behaviors. "What has happened? Everyone is acting so strangely." Ryuji asked.

"You are right, you are practically prancing in such a graceful manner." Ann said, noticing that she was acting like Haru even when teasing someone else for doing so. The group was getting increasingly disturbed by what was going on, and they decided to leave. "We got past the gate so I think that we should just get out of here for now. I do not like how things are going."

A group of black hats tipped down and back up, the group nodding to each other silently before retracing their steps back to the entrance, their heels clacking in unison on the floor as they ran.

Morgana was woken up by that same chorus of heel-clicks, the feline having fallen asleep after having been left with nothing to do. He opened his eyes to an odd sight, a pack of anxious looking Harus rushing down the end of the hallway, the recollection of what had transpired earlier not immediately having come back to him. Once it did, though, it felt like something was off about them.

The group had seemed far more coordinated from when they left; something was almost scary about how well they moved together, even when running. Maybe Haru had given them all Haru-lessons or something during the time they had left? It was all pretty confusing... all he was sure of was that he had the right idea in not having gone along with the transformation himself. That notion was only confirmed when the group stopped right in front of him, the seven of them matching the same pose as they paused to regain their breath and tell him what had happened.

"Ah, Mona. It seems that the transformation is having some... unintended side effects. We think it would be for the best if we left immediately, if that would be all right with you. I think everyone will feel much more comfortable when they're restored to their rightful selves."

"Uh, sure, Haru."

The girl who had spoken to him sheepishly looked towards the floor, pulling her gloved hands together and shrugging her shoulders inwards, her face now a soft shade of pink.

"Actually, I am... Makoto. You can probably see wherein the problem lies..."

Oh, man. That hadn't sounded even remotely like Makoto! That mirror really did mess with more than their bodies... this wasn't something to joke about anymore. They needed to get out of there. Turning into his van form, he barked at the lot of them to hop in, driving them quickly through the last stretch of hallway before they got to the entrance of the palace. At least driving was a little easier, the load being considerably lighter without the guys being themselves.

Finally arriving at the entrance, they hurried out as the Metaverse App thanked them for their hard work, and a flood of red and black overtook their senses, unceremoniously booting them back out into the real world. The group now standing outside of Okumura's corporate building, Morgana's jaw dropped as he took a look out at the group, a wave of pink sweaters and black miniskirts assaulting his eyes. Whatever they'd done hadn't ended at the Metaverse-- they were all still Haru!

The Phantom Thieves looked down in horror seeing that they were still her. All that had changed with their return was that they were now wearing different clothing. Their musketeer-like outfits had given way to something a bit more normal although fairly classy. They were wearing soft pink sweaters with poofy sleeves over a long sleeved white blouse. Black with red and white striped miniskirts alongside white dotted tights, their gloves having disappeared to show off their long nails. Completing their look, their long heels had been traded in for a more modest pair of black Mary Janes.

"Whatever shall we do?" Ryuji said in a high-pitched and girlish voice, sounding increasingly less Ryuji-like by the second. What horrified him even more was how hard it was getting for him to see what was wrong with the situation. Examining his outfit closer, he couldn't help but feel... blissful. Ryuji was amazed by how soft and lovely the fabric was. Every bit of the attire he was wearing felt like heaven to wear, and he started to wonder why he had been so worried.

What really came to mind when he looked at it was the word 'cute' though. Ryuji was admiring the outfit more and more by the second. Sure, it was very girlish and proper, but that was exactly his style! ...Wasn't it?

Ryuji wasn't the only one struggling with doubts. Ann was trying to keep herself grounded by focusing on her life and dreams, reminding herself about her burgeoning fashion career. But as she thought about what she loved to do, it seemed off. Ann kept thinking of her passion, but the more she did, the more was now finding herself oddly embarrassed by the thought. She was becoming more modest and couldn't imagine showing herself off like that. She preferred a more humble dream, like growing vegetables and selling organic food in a small cafe. It was much more relaxing and practically melted the stress away, which was why she loved it so much. There wasn't anything wrong with modeling, but she realized that it really didn't suit her at all.

Normally Yusuke would've thought about the strange sight before him in artistic terms, however now he was struggling to even remember what some artistic terms were. He could feel his creativity and passion for art slowly waning away until it was all but gone, matching the same ordinary interest in it anyone might have. That wasn't all, and he felt like was having a difficult time just remembering who he was. Some thoughts did come to mind, but something just felt off about them. Had he ever really painted a portrait? It didn't seem like something he'd do...

Also suffering from a bout of confused memories was Makoto, who struggled along with her new sisters to recall exactly what was going on. That black skirt fluttering around her legs certainly seemed familiar, but what about the rest of her getup? Especially that fuzzy pink sweater-- when had she ever wore such a comfortable sweater?

She tried refocusing herself. She was Makoto Niijima, that much she knew. She looked around at her equally-confused comrades, all but two of whom (Morgana and presumably the original Haru, who was going around gripping members by the shoulders and insisting that they hold onto themselves) were gripping their foreheads in frustration as they struggled to hold on to their true selves. Still, she couldn't exert much energy worrying about them if she wanted to keep being herself, a flood of new thoughts and memories swirling their way past her wavy hair and deep into her depths of her subconscious.

Makoto hadn't known Haru for that long, but it was clear based off the few interactions and conversations that they had enjoyed that she was a truly good person, and definitely someone that Makoto would have liked to be friends with. Still, that didn't mean that she wanted to becomeher! Haru was remarkably different from all of them, especially her; she didn't have anywhere near the level of academic drive or types of interests that she did. Hobby wise, the closest they probably got to each other was Haru's love of vegetation fitting in smoothly with her dedication to eating healthy; otherwise, they had little in common. And that didn't make Haru a bad person or anything... but Makoto wanted to stay herself.

But with every breath, she could feel her firm will start to slowly wither, a garden of submissiveness and femininity beginning to blossom and bury the person she had been before. And as terrifying as the thought of fully becoming Haru was... staying as anything else was starting to seem even worse. Despite enduring immense hardship, Haru had always managed to remain cheery and bright-eyed... perhaps that was something to be admired, rather than tossed away? She couldn't help but smile at the idea. Gardening did sound particularly relaxing, after all. Surely she could worry a little less about schoolwork if she was doing something as wonderful as that.

Futaba felt like she was walking on a delicate tightrope, forced to carefully balance the inner workings of her mind lest she fall right into the sea of Haru that was threatening to swallow her up whole. She just kept reminding herself of her favorite things: videogames and manga and cool tech stuff and anime and drinking tea and talking long walks in the sunshine and tending to her vegetable garden after school--

Gah! She was doing it again. Futaba had to keep her head on straight; looking around at the wide smiles already creepily plastered on her friends faces, she knew she couldn't let herself get sucked in alongside them! Joining the hivemind was absolutely not an option. She couldn't believe her sisters had already been completely Haruified. They must have felt silly, allowing it to affect them so fast. Not that it mattered much; she loved them all regardless, even if they were occasionally quick to give-in, they were family, and besides, she was too. Raising her petite hand to her mouth, she giggled at the thought.

The last man remaining, Akira tried to keep himself together, but it was becoming clear that that simply wasn't happening. His powers as the wild card might've given him some advantage over his friends in keeping his mind, but it wasn't going to be enough to do more than slow the process down. Considering that Makoto and Ryuji were now curtsying at each other, he didn't think he had much time left. Upon further recollection, he wasn't even sure if that was them; it was pretty much impossible to tell who had been who now, after all. Except for Morgana, and the original Haru, who trembled quietly in the corner with a solemn expression on her face, the rest of his sisters seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely as they casually discussed their weekend plans together.

But weekend plans weren't important, right? Something was more urgent than visiting that fun-sounding botanical garden that had just opened up or seeing that new horror movie. She wasn't sure what, but she knew it would have been really bad if she forgot it. What was it that she needed to do...?

The last vestiges of her original mind slipping away, Haru felt herself let go of a single final regret as a warm smile pulled itself onto her face. She wasn't even really sure what it meant, but in that last moment before she joined her siblings in quiet chatter, she knew one thing for sure.

Finding that mirror had been a big mistake.

The original Haru watched as one by one her teammates fully finishing turning into her. It didn't matter who they used to be; now they were Haru Okumura, a modest, innocent, kind and proper girly girl. This wasn't what she had intended to happen, and she felt guilty. The responsibility for what had happened lay squarely with her for making the suggestion to use the mirror in the first place.

Still, for all the pain she had felt watching it happen, there was a bit of joy floating in her heart she wasn't proud to admit was there. A part of her wanted to return them to normal but another part wanted to join them. Her new copies seemed so happy as they blissfully chatted away with each other like nothing had ever happened. She knew it would have been wrong to take advantage of the way they had been changed in order to have someone to relate to, but the prospect was tempting...

It was then that things began to change even further. Even the real world was being affected by cognition and how its inhabitants now perceived it. The power of the Phantom Thieves new cognition was warping reality itself. Before Haru knew what was going on she woke up in her room. She immediately jumped out of bed and ran out the door only to find that things had changed even further. Six extra identical copies of her bedroom for her new sisters lay all throughout the hallway, and she wandered downstairs to find a table filled with an almost complete set of septuplets happily eating breakfast together. Not only that, her father there as well, which was odd; she couldn't remember the last time he had eaten breakfast with her. She immediately noticed that his behavior was much kinder and warmer than it had been before. There was no talk of an arranged marriage any longer, and he hugged each of his daughters warmly before stepping out for work.

Things had changed into Haru's ideal life. And since everything was now perfect, the Phantom Thieves were no more and had never existed in the first place. After all, why would they have ever needed to rebel if life was perfect? At first Haru was apprehensive of this new reality but it was beginning to grow on her. She was having so much fun with her sisters and everything always went perfectly. The seven sisters would spend their days gardening, watching movies and chatting casually about whatever popped into their frizzy heads, every now and again going to shop for identical matching outfits. Haru found her will to find a way to restore things back to normal weakening each day, and eventually she stopped worrying about it altogether, having fully accepted and embraced her new life with her loving sisters. Every now and then she felt a pang of guilt for what she had mistakenly caused but her happy girly life managed to quickly wipe it away every time.

Morgana, on the other hand, didn't find this new life quite as welcoming as he would've hoped for. The reality alteration had left him as the Okumura's pampered little housecat, and without any access to the Metaverse, it seemed like his dreams of ever being human were all but dashed. Seeing what had happened to the others, he supposed he had gotten the better end of the deal, but that didn't make it much easier to accept. He had never figured out exactly what had caused the whole event to happen or why the world had changed the way it had, but he eventually came to the conclusion that it probably had something to do with cognition. Since the bunch of new Harus had ended their time in the Metaverse with the perception that they led such wonderful lives as sisters, that must have somehow carried over to the real world. Or something like that, anyway. All that cognition stuff had always been pretty confusing...

None of his friends could understand him anymore, seeming to interpret his human words as cries of attention from an ordinary lonely housecat. He supposed it made sense, since in this version of things they had never visited the Metaverse to hear him speak in the first place. Here, the Phantom Thieves had never existed, and as far as he could tell from the TV, no bouts of madness or political crises had taken over the nation's attention; the country was at peace. Apparently, even Haru's dad had mellowed out, his company no longer having any issues with poor employee treatment. As much as he wanted to get to be human again or recover his lost memories, he eventually supposed that this wasn't the worst outcome in the world.

If all of his teammates had to be forcibly transformed into one person, Haru wouldn't have been his first choice, but he eventually found that she was actually an excellent caretaker. She certainly wasn't Lady Ann, but she was caring, cute, and most importantly, had a really big house. No more sleeping in the attic for him! The Okumura siblings constantly fawned over him, and he was always one small cry away from as much attention, love and tuna as he wanted.

And at least he wasn't alone in his lost memories; even though he couldn't speak to her anymore, the real Haru had confessed that she remembered the other world too, and occasionally, when they were alone, she talk to him just like he was a person again. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep him from totally going full-cat, and he appreciated it, letting her know how much it meant to him with a well earned nuzzle.

And so it went, his pampered feline life continuing on, constantly surrounded by adoration and attention and as much fish as his stomach could handle. Over time, surrounded by so much Haruness, he eventually found his romantic tastes changing... suddenly Lady Ann didn't seem as majestic as she had once been, and he began noticing a twinkle in the eyes of his owners that he hadn't before. He couldn't help but start thinking of them in a different manner; the word "beautiful" was coming to his mind a lot more than he ever would have thought. Those days where they all dressed up in matching swimsuits to swim in the family pool together certainly did a number on him, and eventually he found himself not even caring that Ann was gone. She had certainly never been as nice to him as Haru was...

Maybe things had worked for the best, after all? He hadn't wanted to end up a cat, but if he had to be one, this was definitely the way to do it. And so the weeks and the months slowly passed by, his peaceful and idyllic life slowly wiping all of his concerns and worries to the wayside.

One evening, he was napping on the couch near the entrance hall when he heard the door open, a gaggle of giggles flooding into the room. Raising an eye open, he saw the crowd of seven flood into the living room, each holding several bags of clothing and various other girly trinkets as they continued their gleeful chat. Another shopping trip... sometimes he wondered just how much money her family did have. Closing his eyes again, he tried to go back to sleep, only for one of the Harus to rouse him with a gentle pat on the head. She started talking to him, and he could tell by the childish way she was speaking to him that she wasn't the original. Still, head pats were head pats, and he purred at the attention. A month ago he might have been upset to find himself acting so cat-like, but it didn't seem that terrible now.

"Hello, Mona. You still look adorable! I saw this cute little kitty bow when we were at the mall, and I just knew I needed to bring it home. Here, let me just put it on you... hold still."

Internally he groaned, but he stayed still as she carefully affixed the small red bow across his head. The act was a bit degrading and the material uncomfortable against his fur, but he had already learned that dealing with these occasional annoyances from the Harus was worth it for the promise of more affection and fatty salmon down the road. Besides, if they ever got too intense with dressing him up, the original Haru would usually show up to put a stop to it, not that she had needed to do that more than a few times anyway. To their credit, they were usually very gentle with him. Definitely moreso than any other member of the Phantom Thieves had been, anyway...

The accessory secure, the clone giggled to herself before calling her sisters over to take a look at him, six out of the seven of which furiously began discussing how cute it looked as Morgana exchanged silent looks with the Haru quietly hanging out in the back of the pack. A flurry of soft hands gently rubbing his tummy, he purred. A bit too cat-like, he guessed, but he could already taste the fish...

The initial Haru who had started the frenzy suddenly opened her mouth again, pulling something else out from the bag that had contained the bow.

"I bet you wanna see how cute you look too, don't you? Here you go~! I found this adorable little item just lying on a bench... can you believe someone would try and get rid of something like this?"

Morgana hardly had time to process what had happened as the excited girl shoved a familiar looking mirror in his face. He heard the shocked reaction of the original Haru, who must've recognized it immediately as well, but it was too late. Staring at the feminine reflection of what was soon to become the eighth Okumura sister, Morgana watched his future plans go up in smoke. An unwilling cutesy smile forcing itself on his face as his muzzle slowly sunk away from view, he could only watch in horror as reality began to rewrite itself once more, a soft voice gradually filling his head with all things Haru Okumura. In just a few short hours, he'd just be another giggling soft-spoken schoolgirl, completely indistinguishable from the others...

Crap.


End file.
